Ironing board having an iron rest

ABSTRACT

An ironing board having an iron rest that is situated at the blunt end of the ironing board. The iron rest ( 3 ) is mounted on the ironing board ( 2 ) like a drawer and can be pushed in under the ironing board ( 2 ) after use.

TECHNICAL AREA

Ironing boards norally in use have an ironing surface which is currentlyoften made of expanded metal. A rest surface which is situated at theblunt end of the ironing board is provided for the iron. The iron may beplaced horizontally or in an oblique position at a predefined anglehere. Flexible rods fixedly attached to the iron rest are used as cableholders for the iron cord. Foldable legs which may be folded up on thebottom of the ironing board are attached underneath the ironing board.As a result, the ironing board requires little space for storage. Thelegs are designed such that they permit the board height to be adjustedto different heights, so that the board is adaptable to the size of theoperator. Except for this possibility of height adjustment, the boardsare otherwise equipped in a very inflexible manner and offer littlepossibility of adjustment to changed conditions.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

DE 195 26 637 A1 describes an ironing board in which the iron rest has acoupling part for an extension cord which is used for conducting currentfrom a wall outlet to the ironing board. The coupling part is designedas an outlet into which the plug of the iron cord can be inserted. Theiron cord itself may pass through a cable holding device. The tensileforce occurring here due to the deflection or bending of the cableholding device interferes with the ironing operation. When ironing, thecable is maximally tensioned at the narrow tip of the ironing board,where the tensile force is therefore high. In addition, when the iron isput down on the rest surface, the cable guide is easily twisted and thecable is in the way on the rest surface. The rest surface itself isformed by a sheet metal insert which receives a rotatable iron rest. Therotatable iron rest represents an improvement with respect to a rigidrest because it allows the iron to be placed oriented in differentdirections. However, when changing from a right-handed to a left-handedoperator, the cable holding device must be changed from the left side ofthe iron rest to the right side.

GB 2 124 616 A describes a possibility of a different type of adjustmentof the iron rest position relative to the length of the ironing board.For this purpose, the ironing board is equipped with guide stripsunderneath the board surface in which the iron rest may be displaced viaholding rods over the ironing board in the longitudinal direction of theironing board. In this way the iron rest may be displaced from itsposition at the blunt end of the ironing board over the end of theironing board. This reduces the reach for the iron when ironing smallerpieces.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to improve the known ironingboards, in particular by reconfiguring the rest surface for the iron tothereby achieve greater safety and flexibility in handling the ironingboard.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The features ofsubclaims 2 through 14 represent improved embodiments of the presentinvention. The design of the iron rest in the form of a drawer, so itmay be pushed under the ironing board after use, represents animprovement with respect to the safety requirements. In addition, spaceis saved when storing the ironing board.

It is advantageous if it is possible to pull out the iron rest in twodifferent pull-out positions and fix it in these positions. The firstpull-out stage may be used for a normal steam iron and the secondpull-out stage for a steam iron station. (Please provide a briefadditional explanation of the arrangement of the steam iron station.)

To increase safety, the ironing rest is provided with an outlet for apower cord. This outlet is equipped with a switch for interrupting thecurrent. In addition, it has a pilot lamp for indicating whether or notthe switch is on. In addition, the outlet is designed at the same timeas a handle for the displaceable iron rest.

For guiding the iron cord, the iron rest has a recess through which theiron cord is guided to be inserted with its plug into the outlet frombelow. A weight is suspended on the iron cord to tauten the cord.

The receptacle for the iron has an opening having two support flapsopposite one another, oriented obliquely to the ironing board surfaceand pointing downward. A further, third, support flap is preferablyprovided, which points upward and is an extension of one of the firsttwo support flaps. The support flaps themselves are articulated to theside edges of the opening opposite one another via hinges, and, when notin use, may be folded into the plane of the opening. The support flapsmay be fixed in the folded-in position.

Another improvement of the iron rest is achieved by the fact that it isequipped with a rotatable support for the iron. This rotatable supportmay be fixed at any angle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A plurality of exemplary embodiments of the inventive idea areillustrated in the appended drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an ironing board having a pulled-outdrawer-like iron rest;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the rear end of the ironing board of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an ironing board having an iron rest including a rotatablesupport for the iron.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the blunt end of the ironing board having aswiveling support for the iron; and

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the ironing board end according to FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an ironing board 2 having iron rest 3. Ironrest 3 is attached to ironing board 2 as a drawer and may be pushed inunder the bottom surface of ironing board 2 when not in use. Connector 4for a power cord is attached to the bottom of iron rest 3. Connector 4contains at the same time a socket into which the plug of iron cord 6may be introduced. In addition, connector 4 is provided with a switchfor interrupting the current. The switch itself is connected to a pilotlight which indicates that current is flowing or that the current isinterrupted by the switch. Connector 4 is designed so that it may beused at the same time as a handle for displaceable iron rest 3. Ironrest 3 is provided with recess 5 for guiding the iron cord to connector4. As FIG. 2 in particular shows, iron cord 6 is tensioned by a weight 7suspended on cord 6. Support 10 for the iron is formed by opening 11 iniron rest 3, which is provided laterally with two support flaps 12oriented obliquely to the ironing board plane and pointing downward.Support flaps 12 are articulated to opposite side edges of opening 11via hinges 14 (not shown in detail). In this way they may be folded intothe plane of opening 11 and fixed there.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the ironing board end, the longitudinalsection of iron rest 3 being shown.

Power cord 17 is incorporated in legs 15.

In FIG. 3 iron rest 3 is provided with a rotatable support 20 for theiron. Support 20 has only one support flap 12 in opening 11, which isarticulated to a side edge of opening 11 via hinge 14. Of course, aplurality of support flaps may also be mounted here.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, an ironing board 2 is shown to have a swivelable ironrest 3. For this purpose, rest 3 is provided with two rivets 21 whichattach rest 3 to holding device 22 and are used at the same time as linkblocks in curved slide guides 23. Rest 3 may be swiveled either to theleft or to the right.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. An ironing board comprising: an ironing board bodyhaving a blunt end; and an iron rest at the blunt end of the ironingboard body, the iron rest being mounted on the ironing board body as adrawer and being pushable under the ironing board body after use. 16.The ironing board as recited in claim 15 wherein the iron rest isfixable in two pull-out positions.
 17. The ironing board as recited inclaim 15 wherein the iron rest includes a connector for a power cord.18. The ironing board as recited in claim 17 wherein the connector has asocket for the power cord and a switch for interrupting current.
 19. Theironing board as recited in claim 18 further comprising a pilot light,the switch being connected to the pilot light.
 20. The ironing board asrecited in claim 17 wherein the connector includes or functions as ahandle for the iron rest.
 21. The ironing board as recited in claim 15wherein the iron rest includes a recess for passage of an iron powercord.
 22. The ironing board as recited in claim 21 further comprising aweight, the iron power cord being tensioned by the weight suspended onthe cord.
 23. The ironing board as recited in claim 15 wherein the ironrest includes a support for the iron having an opening and having twosupport flaps opposite one another, the flaps oriented obliquely to aplane the ironing board body, and pointing downward.
 24. The ironingboard as recited in claim 23 wherein the support further includes athird support flap pointing upward and forming an extension of one ofthe two support flaps is provided.
 25. The ironing board as recited inclaim 23 wherein the support flaps are articulated via hinges toopposite edges of the opening and are foldable into a plane of theopening.
 26. The ironing board as recited in claim 23 wherein thesupport flaps are fixed in the folded-in position.
 27. The ironing boardas recited in claim 15 wherein the iron rest has a rotatable support forthe iron.
 28. The ironing board as recited in claim 27 wherein thesupport is fixable at any angle.